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Clive Murphys’s Post Neo Proto Demo exhibit is one that Geoffrey and I literally stumbled onto while in the same West 26th Street building for an entirely different exhibit. But I was immediately drawn into the Magnan Metz Gallery’s street level space because I cannot resist an exhibit that mixes Contemporary art with Modern Furniture Design. So, yeah.

Post Neo Proto Demo, Murphy’s third solo show at the gallery, “comments on how ones living space is a representation of a created personal philosophy” – that is certainly true in my apartment! – exploring the relationship between the radical and the domestic.

Taking the legacy of Modernism and the avant-garde as its point of departure, Murphy deconstructs and reassembles, delicately blending the familiar with uncanny, the purposeful with the dysfunctional.

The exhibition includes altered domestic tableaus comprised of sculpture made with modified domestic materials. The result allows the viewer to participate in Murphy’s inversion of the classic furniture showroom by blending the purposeful with dysfunctional.

In addition, new works drawn and spray painted on pages from iconic furnishing catalogs mirror the arranged living space tableaus with a tongue-in-cheek disruption of idealized domesticity.

I wish that some of these items were for sale at IKEA, because I would totally love to see them in my apartment. At any rate, I left with few inspired new design ideas of my own.

Clive Murphy’s Post Neo Proto Demo Will be on Exhibit Through April 12th, 2014 at Mangan Metz Gallery, Located at 521 West 26th Street, in the Chelsea Gallery District.

Disown – Not For Everyone On Site Climbing Wall! (All Photos By Gail. Click on Any Image to Enlarge for Detail.)

If you’re intrigued by the concept of IKEA and Urban Outfitters collaborating with the snarky minds behind The Onion and TrustoCorp, then DISown – Not For Everyone is a new pop up art installation that you might want to check out. DISown – Not For Everyone is an art exhibition posing as a retail store, but the fact that the display racks of hipster work out clothes and attractively arranged shelves featuring designer household objects (Think: Jonathan Adler) looks and feels so familiar that the “joke” (if you even want to call it that) is not necessarily obvious.

Partial Disclaimer / Artistic Statement

That’s likely why they have a huge printed disclaimer displayed at the entrance to the store, in case someone gets offended. Because, though we did get a kick out of last Thursday’s opening reception, like it says, it’s “Not for Everyone.”

Make Sure to Grab a Shopping Bag to Hold Your Purchases!

Curated by Agatha Wara and DIS Magazine, the exhibition features products / artworks by over 30 contemporary artists and designers, from Ryan Trecartin to Lizzie Fitch, Jon Rafman, Bjarne Melgaard, Amalia Ulman, Hood By Air (HBA) and Telfar. Prices of the times vary from between $50 to $500 — a comment on the new status of the art object. The idea of Consumer Products by Contemporary Artists is not new, but Dis takes the concept into an entirely fresh realm.

Directional Signs Such as The One Above Are Painted Randomly Across the Store’s Floor

Here are a few of our favorite DISown products!

Emma Dakimakura By Jon Rafman: Assorted Emma Watson Body Pillows sell for $400 Each. Now you know what to get for the Harry Potter fan who has everything!

Gay Wedding Ring (gold wedding band embedded in the sole of a sculpted foot) by Simon Fukiwara: $3,500.

Hood By Air (HBA) Salad Bowl

Hot Mic Tie Clip By Francis Carlow: $350.

Whistleblower Beanie/Flower Pot By Jogging: $60 Each. Artist’s Statement: “This series of beanies continues from a photo shoot…where we were able to sneak the names of famous digital whistleblowers into the scene. We are creating an opportunity for people to endorse important countercultural figures, while also pointing to the commercialization of that radical image as a headwear ornament.”

Waterfall Toilet Paper Roll By Nick DeMarco: $150.

Korakrit Arunanondchai Sweatshirt and Sweatpants By Bangkok Boys: $300. Artist’s Statement: “Feel the look of denim on fire with the comfortable, fun, and easy-to-wear BANGKOKBOYS sweatshirt and sweatpants. They’re an easy solution for the problem of not being able to wash and wear clothes that are actually on fire.”

Surely one of the most appealing and fun aspects of DISown – Not For Everyone is its nearly unmatched ability to inspire limitless discourse of all manner among those attending the exhibit. Even the evening’s hired bartender asked me of I could explain to him “What all this [was] about?” After I gave him the Readers Digest Condensed explanation, that “It’s an art exhibit posing as a retail store,” he sincerely thanked me, adding of his employer, “They just send us to the job. They don’t tell us anything.”

DISown – Not For Everyone at Red Bull Studios, Located at 220 West 18th Street (Between 7th and 8th Avenues) in Chelsea, will be on exhibit until April 6th, 2014. Public viewing hours are restricted to Saturdays and Sundays -12:00 PM – 8:00 PM, with live discussions and performances every weekend. A list of weekly events can be found at This Link.

If you’re one of the thousands of avid fans who read this blog religiously, you might recall that in the summer of 2008, Geoffrey and I took an urban field trip to the new Ikea in Redhook, Brooklyn, which opened that June, in order to provide residents of the NYC Metropolitan area with a warehouse-sized shopping facility at which to purchase cheap and interesting furniture. And very reasonably priced scented candles in reusable containers. And a lot of other cool stuff that you convince yourself you need to own because it costs a dollar. Today happened to be a beautiful day to get outside of Manhattan, so G and I decided to take the 4 or 5 train to Borough Hall, where we could catch the free Ikea Shuttle bus and do a little shopping. Before we started our shopping however, we made sure to check out Ikea’s massive cafeteria, because we needed sustenance. Everybody is always talking about the Swedish meatball lunch you can get at Ikea for almost no money, so I was down with checking that out, and I was not disappointed. Jesus god, lunch at Ikea is such a bargain, it is insane. For $4.99 you get 15 delicious Swedish Meatballs, yummy mashed potatoes and awesome gravy, and tangy, sweet lingonberry sauce. A soda (refillable) will set you back $1.29. Geoffrey had the Chicken Fingers and fries, which also cost about $4.99, and also a side of pasta with red sauce that had stuff in it (because he is a growing boy and needs his carbs) for $1.99. They have other hot meals as well plus desserts and salads and other goodies. On our way out after we had purchased our Ikea booty, G treated us both to a vanilla yogurt soft serve cone for $1. While we waited for the shuttle bus that would take us safely back to the train, we listened to music from The Darkness as it was broadcast to waiting customers outside the store. Remember when that band was popular? It seems like such a long time ago. Anyway, all in all it was a fun and tasty day! Ikea!

Today Geoffrey and I had a very exciting adventure together when we hauled our tight little asses out to Redhook, Brooklyn and spent a couple of hours wandering around in a daze inside the gargantuan new Ikea that opened just last Wednesday. It was so much fun! Here’s what I came back to the city with: